Santos announced the signing of striker Gabriel Barbosa, known as Gabigol. Revealed by Peixe, he arrives at Alvinegro on a loan contract for one season, until the end of 2026. With that, the question remains: when does Gabi debut in the Santos shirt? Sporting News shows.
MORE: Gabigol agrees with Santos: contract length, salary and when the announcement will be
When does Gabigol debut at Santos?
If everything goes as planned, regarding physical issues and documentation, Gabigol can be available on January 10th, at the debut of the Campeonato Paulista, against Novorizontino, in Vila Belmiro, at 4pm (Brasília time).
Os Salaries will be divided between the two teamsand there will be no immediate financial compensation for the loan. Thus, the Santos will pay $1.25 million per month to the athletewhile the Cruzeiro will continue to deposit R$1.25 million.
GO UP, GABRIEL! 💪🏽
Village boy, Santos and cruel. Gabriel Barbosa is back at Santos FC! The striker signed a loan contract with Cruzeiro valid until the end of the year. @Gabigol He arrived at the Peixão base when he was just eight years old, in 2004, and made his… pic.twitter.com/VGiUoV7EfO
— Santos FC (@SantosFC) January 3, 2026
Gabigol: numbers and achievements for Santos
This will be Gabigol’s third spell at Santos. Revealed in the club’s youth categories, the striker played for Peixe between 2013 and 2016 and in 2018. In total, there are 207 games with the black and white shirt, 83 goals and 13 assists.
On his resume for Santos, Gabigol has important achievements: he was top scorer in the 2018 Brazilian Championship, with 18 goals, three times top scorer in the Copa do Brasil, as well as two-time champion of São Paulo, in 2015 and 2016. He also entered the club’s history by scoring Santos’ 12,000th goal, in the 5-1 rout of Botafogo-SP, in the Campeonato Paulista de 2014.
Gabigol: numbers at Cruzeiro
For Cruzeiro, the 2025 season had a discreet performance, in contrast to the great repercussion of the signing made official on January 1st. Gabigol played 49 games during the year, starting 23, scored 13 goals and provided four assists, but ended up losing space and ended the season as a substitute.
